Music therapy

Rethinking Jani Lane Upon His Death

by Bill Brenner August 12, 2011 Addiction

Former Warrant singer Jani Lane was found dead last night in a Comfort Inn in L.A. at age 47. It’s unclear at this point what the cause is, but his death is making me re-think a few things about my attitude. Mood music: I remember when Warrant came out in the late 1980s. I couldn’t stand them. Sure, they sounded good. Crunchy guitar sound. Good vocals. But it all sounded so fake. I thought “Cherry Pie”…  [Read More]

Hitting Bottom and Staying There

by Bill Brenner July 19, 2011 Addiction

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about hitting bottom. Specifically, after I hit bottom, how long did it take for things to start looking up? I got bad news for those craving the quick fix. Mood music: The first point worth making is that I didn’t hit one bottom like you usually see in the movies, where the addict falls so low that the clouds part and they see the light in huge, dramatic fashion….  [Read More]

Facebook Changed My Social Dysfunction

by Bill Brenner July 16, 2011 Communication Skills

Going to see The 360s last night drove home an interesting point for me: The Facebook world and the real world are indeed two different places. And it may have made my social dysfunction worse. Mood music: First, I want to thank The 360s for a great show last night. When I leave a show with my ears ringing, feeling like I’ve been kicked in the gut, I know I’ve had a good, healthy dose…  [Read More]

Up Your Bucket

by Bill Brenner July 11, 2011 Music therapy

I’ve been enjoying a local band called Up Your Bucket of late. For someone who uses hard rock and metal as a coping tool, this stuff hits me where I live. The raw, loud, dirty nature of it goes to show — once again — that Boston’s music scene is among the best. I won’t attempt to describe them. I’ll just show you a couple videos from a show they did July 4. I’m a…  [Read More]

The Heaviest Rock, The Mightiest Recovery Tool

by Bill Brenner July 4, 2011 Coping tools

Something about the Fourth of July really gives me a craving for heavy metal music. Of course, not a day goes by where I don’t need to listen to some of it. It’s one of the major tools of my recovery from OCD and addiction. Allow me to explain… 1984 This is the year my older brother died. But even without that, life was pretty miserable. I wasn’t exactly popular in school. I was overweight…  [Read More]

Music To Play When Blowing Stuff Up

by Bill Brenner July 4, 2011 Music therapy

This being Independence Day, I thought I’d do something different and make a little soundtrack for ya. When blowing up those illegal Chinese fireworks, play this. http://youtu.be/aMfkVGCU_BA

I’m Getting Too Old For This, But It’s Worth it

by Bill Brenner June 3, 2011 Love

Erin and I drove 90 minutes north yesterday to see The Avett Brothers perform in Portland, Maine. By the end of the night, we realized we just don’t have the concert-going energy we had in our early 20s. Mood music: The band didn’t begin until 9, and we were surrounded by people in their 20s and early 30s. The smell of pot hung in the air, giving us headaches. It used to be the smell…  [Read More]

Soundtrack For The Pissed Off

by Bill Brenner June 2, 2011 Music therapy

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m in an uneasy state. Fortunately for me, music is the perfect coping drug. Since my uneasiness is mixed with a feeling of being pissed off, I’m turning to my prescription of heavier, louder fare: http://youtu.be/Yxa3li_Zjgk This stuff won’t send me to a happy, shiny place, but it will keep me from punching someone in the face. For now, that’s all I need.

About The Mood Music…

by Bill Brenner May 24, 2011 Adventures in writing

Some readers have asked why I put mood music in my posts, and how I go about choosing the daily selection. I use them because in my mind, music and writing go hand in hand. I used to require absolute silence in the room to do my writing. Now I can’t write without some noise. Some days, the music will fit the theme of what I’m writing about that day. Other times I use music…  [Read More]

What’s YOUR Insanity?

by Bill Brenner May 23, 2011 Addiction

“Paint a garbage can platinum and underneath, it’s still a garbage can.” Nikki Sixx In Chapter 3 of the AA Big Book, we’re introduced to an alcoholic named Jim. He has a successful business until he starts drinking at age 35 in an attempt to dull a nervous tick, and everything goes to hell. From pages 35-36: “In a few years he became so violent when intoxicated that he had to be committed. On leaving the…  [Read More]

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →